Listening to James Dobson

I used to listen regularly to James Dobson's radio show, Focus on the Family, but the interest was professional rather than personal. I was a pastor at the time, and Dobson was probably the single most influential voice among the people of our church. Listening to him helped me know what many of them were thinking, and it kept me from getting into trouble by unwittingly contradicting something Dobson had just said.

I don't listen anymore. Thankfully, my wife and I have not needed the kind of help provided on most of the broadcasts, and I certainly don't find any value in Dobson's political and social analysis. It seems to me that while his perspectives perfectly mirror the concerns of white, conservative Americans, and the immediate priorities of the Republicans, Dobson's social/political message only imperfectly and selectively reflects the concerns of the Bible.

But one day soon, Dobson may be saying something that I will want to listen to. The Washington Post reports today that it is likely that Dobson will be called before the Senate Judiciary Committee to "...explain the private assurances he says he received from the White House about Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers".

Dobson invited this attention when he told his radio audience on October 5th, "When you know some of the things that I know -- that I probably shouldn't know -- you will understand why I have said, with fear and trepidation, that Harriet Miers will be a good justice". Given the stinginess of information the White House and Miers herself have provided the Committee, it makes sense that the Senators would want to know what Dobson knows, "and probably shouldn't".

Me, too. But I think we already have a pretty good idea of what Dobson knows from this transcript of a conference call involving White House official Tim Goeglein, Republican National Committee Chair Ken Mehlman and a number of Christian influencers including Dobson, along with this report from the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal, about another conference call which took place before the nomination was announced, in which Dobson and others, including my new friend Donald Wildmon, received assurances from two close associates of Miers that she would vote to overturn Roe vs. Wade.

It's been said that when you dine with the Devil, you should use a very long spoon. I think we're about find out that Dr. Dobson has been eating with his fingers.